Sanctuary

Description

Sanctuary is an album by the American singer and songwriter Twila Paris, released on StarSong Records in 1991. The album was produced and arranged by Richard Souther.

If there were some way to film a travel documentary about heaven, then this album could be in contention as the soundtrack (Beethoven and Mozart notwithstanding, of course). A good travel film accomplishes two things: it makes you want to go to the destination, and at the same time, makes you feel a little like you’ve been there.

Listening to ‘Sanctuary’ does both. It’s an experience so sublime that if you’re a Twila fan, don’t even bother reading on – just go buy the album, find a quiet place, and lose yourself in the wonder.

And what a wonder it is, both artistically and as an experience of worship. Think of it as a little detour rather than follow-up to ‘Cry for the Desert‘, a detour that takes you on a worshipful trip to the sanctuary of the heart.

It’s not quite fair to call this only a Twila Paris album. Though she wrote all 14 of the songs and sings every note of the vocals, ‘Sanctuary’ bears the distinctive mark of producer Richard Souther, who did all the arrangements, played all the keyboards (including acoustic piano, synthed orchestral parts, samplers, and electronic percussion) and gathered many of the same players who graced his own ‘Twelve Tribes‘ on MCA’s Narada Equinox label. Abraham Laboriel, Justo Almario, Efrain Toro and others (like Phil Keaggy and Gaelic fiddler Alasdair Fraser), give a new twist to David’s command to “play skillfully”, with a resulting “shout of joy” from the listener.

That’s the thing about the sanctuary that this album brings to life – that worship encompasses the full range of human emotion and expression, from the reflective title opener with Souther’s acoustic piano and Fraser’s fiddle, to the exuberant Brazilian rhythms of «Ele E Exaltado» (He is Exalted), which Twila sings quite ably in Portuguese.

Three other Twila classics are woven into the project, wisely treated as instrumentals. «We Bow Down», «We Will Glorify» and an achingly beautiful Celtic arrangement of «Lamb of God», with Fraser on solo fiddle.

Twila’s Scotch-Irish and Arkansas roots also shine forth on tracks like «Joy of the Lord», with its infectious Appalchian groove, and «Hosanna», sporting a tag featuring Fraser and Keaggy on an impromptu traditional reel, sure to bring a tear to anyone with enough Celtic blood in their veins.

Make no mistake – you will be singing these songs to yourself and elsewhere – Twila’s simple-but-not-simplistic lyrics will likely find their way into worship services faster than you can say “overhead transparency.”

You don’t need to be in church to worship, though. Take a copy of ‘Sanctuary’ to a quiet place for your first listen. Thereafter, listening to ‘Sanctuary’ could even make being stuck in traffic feel a little like heaven. [Bernie Sheahan, CCM, November 1991]

> Apple Music (https://music.apple.com/us/album/sanctuary/724420284)

CD tracklist:

01. Sanctuary (Instrumental)
02. Let Them Praise
03. The Joy Of The Lord
04. I Am Ready
05. We Shall Assemble/In This Sanctuary
06. We Bow Down (Instrumental)
07. Arise, My Soul, Arise
08. Hosanna
09. Come Worship The Lord
10. Lamb Of God (Instrumental)
11. Every Knee Shall Bow
12. Ele É Exaltado (He Is Exalted)
13. We Will Glorify (Instrumental)
14. Keeper Of The Door

Note: Simultaneously released on cassette and CD by StarSong Records.